D&D 5E What is canon about older-edition settings in 5E?

[JEB]

TASHA'S CAULDRON OF EVERYTHING

Greyhawk

• Book is ostensibly by Tasha; at Mordenkainen's request, the "Greyhawk Guild of Wizardry" got editorial oversight
• Tasha ruled (where isn't specified) as the Witch Queen and became known as Iggwilv later in life; she also identified herself as Natasha the Dark and Hura of Ket
• Tasha was raised by Baba Yaga and became an adventurer in the world of Greyhawk, a friend and sometimes enemy of other adventurers, including Mordenkainen; she had exploits with the "infamous Company of Seven"; she studied under "the original Mad Archmage, Zagig Yragerne"; she corresponded with "world-hopping (and sanctimonious) luminaries" like Mordenkainen; she is also familiar with the multiverse
• Artificers in the world of Greyhawk have been inspired by the "strange technologies" of the Barrier Peaks
• Tasha's sidebar for The Genie warlock notes that finding housing in Greyhawk is "rough"
• Tasha's sidebar for the Aristocrat patron mentions the Bandit Kingdoms
• The opening illustration for chapter 3 demonstrates her ties to Graz'zt (as also suggested by the variant cover)
• Tasha's sidebar on Spells mentions Heward
• The Traveling to Other Worlds sidebar notes that Oerth is in the Material Plane
• Tasha's sidebar on Magic Items notes that Mordenkainen likes magic items
• The entry on the Crook of Rao notes that it was created by Rao, and used against Iggwilv, who cursed it; the entry also notes that Rao lives in Mount Celestia
• The entry on the Demonomicon of Iggwilv notes that it was originally based on the Tome of Zyx, and also connects it to Fraz-Urb'luu
• The Mighty Servant of Leuk-o is connected to the Barrier Peaks and the Machine of Lum the Mad; the entry also notes that details can be found in the tome Mind of Metal, written by Lum the Mad's descendant Lum the Maestro; the tome also connects the Mighty Servant to the "lost" Olman people, and the entry later confirms that it was created in "forge-temples" by ancient Olman creators
• The tenth of the Teeth of Dalhver-Nar, a "obsidian human molar", is linked to the tale "Legendry of Phantoms of Ghosts" (not explicitly tied to Greyhawk)
• The fourteenth of the Teeth of Dalhver-Nar, a "broken translucent fang", is linked to the tale "The Claws of Dragotha" (not explicitly tied to Greyhawk)

Mystara

• Artificers in Mystara are employed by nations to maintain "airships and other wondrous devices"
• The fifth of the Teeth of Dalhver-Nar, an "emerald lizardfolk fang", is linked to the tale "Dooms of the Malpheggi" (not explicitly tied to Mystara or the Hollow World)

Planescape

• The gnome artificer Vi (from Eberron) "runs a cosmos-spanning business that hires adventurers to fix problems that others deem unfixable" from Sigil
• Guildmaster Rhys of Sigil (thanks @Quickleaf); the image also includes the symbol of the Transcendent Order (and Rhys basically looks the same as she did in 2E; as @Parmandur noted, she also still looks like a 2E tiefling)

Dragonlance

• The Traveling to Other Worlds sidebar notes that Krynn is in the Material Plane

Spelljammer

• The eighth of the Teeth of Dalhver-Nar, a "silver mind flayer tooth", is linked to the tale "Beyond the Rock of Bral" (not explicitly tied to Spelljammer)
• Mind flayer nautiloids are illustrated in Chapter 4 (not explicitly tied to Spelljammer)

Zogonia

• Tasha mentions in her sidebar for Circle of Spores that she found a "sapiens zuggtmata" in the depths of Mount Zogon (from the Dungeon comic strip of the same name, set in the same setting as Dragon's comic strip Zogonia) (not a published game setting; just thought it was a fun reference)

 

[SehanineMoonbow]

Not gonna lie, this recent declaration made me mad; it's two-faced and disrespectful to the creators and writers who have worked for decades on the lore. Sure, there has been inconsistencies and retcons, but this is a bit much, imho. DMs have always been able to make it their own--heck, sometimes it was even easier in earlier editions, because they had more to draw from. If WotC doesn't want to be "beholden" to the lore of the settings, they should make a brand new setting. On other sites, people who are only familiar with 5e come on all the time asking lore questions, because 5e is a lore desert.

 

[JEB]

Not gonna lie, this recent declaration made me mad; it's two-faced and disrespectful to the creators and writers who have worked for decades on the lore. Sure, there has been inconsistencies and retcons, but this is a bit much, imho. DMs have always been able to make it their own--heck, sometimes it was even easier in earlier editions, because they had more to draw from. If WotC doesn't want to be "beholden" to the lore of the settings, they should make a brand new setting. On other sites, people who are only familiar with 5e come on all the time asking lore questions, because 5e is a lore desert.

While I sympathize, I think you want to direct such comments to this thread: D&D General - WotC: Novels & Non-5E Lore Are Officially Not Canon

 

[SehanineMoonbow]

While I sympathize, I think you want to direct such comments to this thread: D&D General - WotC: Novels & Non-5E Lore Are Officially Not Canon

Lol you're probably right. I just saw this thread first.

 

[JEB]

PRINCES OF THE APOCALYPSE (thanks, @Parmandur)

Dark Sun

• Athas is a "dying planet" "scarred by elemental power"; the gods of Athas fought a war against the primordials and lost; following the defeat of the gods, indifferent primordials took little interest in mortals while sorcerer-kings arose and nearly destroyed the world with "reckless use of defiling magic"; Athas became a desert world with terrible monsters and survival-of-the-fittest
• In Dark Sun, "mere survival is adventure enough"
• The main region described as suitable for this adventure is the Great Alluvial Sand Wastes, which includes:
  • the "slave village" of Freedom
  • Silver Spring oasis
• The Green Age was a past era (presumably 5000 years ago) in which Athas looked much like the Forgotten Realms
• Slave traders exist in the setting
• Other locations in the setting include the halfling village of Ogo; the "recently freed" city of Tyr, whose leaders hope to forge an alliance with the halflings of the Forest Ridge
• There's a very detailed section on elemental cults (and elemental priests) in Athas, they're very important in Athasian society; they note a difference between elemental priests and elemental cults, namely that the latter are evil
• Athas includes city-states and nomadic tribes
• Factions in Athas include the Veiled Alliance (=The Harpers), The Free (=Order of the Gauntlet), Druid circles (=The Emerald Enclave), Templar bureaucracy (=Lords' Alliance), and House Tsalaxa (=The Zhentarim); each gets a brief profile
• Also mentioned is the Tyr Region, the Dragon's Bowl, the city of Urik, and Draj
• There's an illustration of two warriors hanging from balloons attacking a single individual with two hand-axes - unclear if they're metal or stone (but definitely not obsidian)

Dragonlance

• Mentions two eras in Krynn's history appropriate for the adventure: "the pre-Cataclysm Age of Might" and the War of the Lance
• Locations include the hills and mountains of Solamnia; Ergoth; the "soon-to-be-destroyed Istar"
• Notes the Dragonlance saga began in "Abanasinia, near Solace and Haven, at the end of the Time of Darkness in the year or two preceding the War of the Lance"
• There are hills and mountains between Solace and Haven; Haven is the biggest city in the region
• Gateway is a town south of Solace
• the "forks of the White-Rage River" are presumably near Solace and Haven
• Thorbardin has history predating the Kinslayer Wars
• Prehistory: the god Chaos was imprisoned in the Graygem by Reorx
• Pax Tharkas is north of Thorbardin
• The Catalcysm "destroyed and buried countless cities, but also unearthed ancient ruins and places of power"; the "perceived absence" of the gods led humans to seek out sources of power that could "rival the divine"
• Factions in Krynn include: the Knights of Solamnia (=Order of the Gauntlet), allies of the Forestmaster (=Emerald Enclave), community leaders in Abanasinia (=Lords' Alliance), and the Seekers (=Zhentarim); each gets a brief profile
• There is no faction similar to the Harpers; "benevolent locals" are as close as you get
• Also mentioned are Qualinesti elves; the Forestmaster, a powerful unicorn of the Darken Wood; the Straits of Schallsea; and the Theocrats; and Dragon Highlords
• Draconians are corrupted offspring of good dragons; can be represented by applying the half-dragon template to hobgoblins or lizardfolk; each should have a Death Throes trait, baaz draconians turn to stone when killed while kapak draconians dissolve into acid

Greyhawk

• References the Temple of Elemental Evil; located in the Kron Hills between Verbobonc and the elven kingdom of Celene; the Gnarley Forest is apparently nearby
• The Temple of Elemental Evil "was built long ago and spawned hordes of bloodthirsty monsters" that attacked the lands between Celene and Veluna on "several occasions"; it (as of this adventure) is currently abandoned and has been for several generations
• Hommlet, the "corrupt town" of Nulb, the "small" river Imeryds Run, the gnome town of Tulvar, the Etterboek, are all mentioned
• Verbobonc is "the most important city anywhere in that area" and has river wharves
• These are all in a corner of the Flanaess
• Also mentioned are the Principality of Ulek, the city of Dyvers, and Chendl, capital of the kingdom of Furyondy
• Factions in Oerth include: the Circle of Eight (=The Harpers), the Church of Saint Cuthbert (=Order of the Gauntlet), The Old Faith (=Emerald Enclave), the Knights of the Hart (=Lords' Alliance), and the Thieves' Guild of Greyhawk (=Zhentarim); each gets a brief profile
• The Circle of Eight is interested in preserving the balance of power in the Flanaess (rather like Mordenkainen in Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes, though no tie is made)
• The Church of Saint Cuthbert is one of several paladin orders (and also includes clerics and fighters)
• The Old Faith includes the druids of the Flanaess; each region of the continent is led by a Great Druid; they are staunch enemies of Elemental Evil
• The Gnarley Forest is home to the Gnarley Rangers, who work closely with druids
• Knights of the Hart (a.k.a. Knights of the Order of the Hart) is made up of elf and human nobles and has branches in Furyondy, Veluna, and the Vesve Forest, and mainly opposes the "half-demon tyrant" Iuz
• The gods Heironeous, Saint Cuthbert, and Tharizdun are mentioned; the Elder Elemental Eye is suggested to be an aspect of Tharizdun

 

[Sorcerers Apprentice]

Considering how Ravenloft turned out, I think it's a mistake to think of the short paragraphs and sentences in the DMG, adventures and other books referencing older settings as "5e canon". Those are tips to DMs wanting to adapt previous edition content to 5e, nothing more, and they will be disregarded if WotC decides to publish any full setting books.

 

[Voadam]

Considering how Ravenloft turned out, I think it's a mistake to think of the short paragraphs and sentences in the DMG, adventures and other books referencing older settings as "5e canon". Those are tips to DMs wanting to adapt previous edition content to 5e, nothing more, and they will be disregarded if WotC decides to publish any full setting books.

What did the DMG say about Ravenloft that was contradicted by Van Richten's?

 

[Hexmage-EN]

Athas is a "dying planet" "scarred by elemental power"; the gods of Athas fought a war against the primordials and lost; following the defeat of the gods, indifferent primordials took little interest in mortals while sorcerer-kings arose and nearly destroyed the world with "reckless use of defiling magic"; Athas became a desert world with terrible monsters and survival-of-the-fittest

I don't know much about Dark Sun, but by "the primordials" are they referencing the 4E primordials? Or did Dark Sun have references to some force killing-off the gods even before 4E?

 

[JEB]

I don't know much about Dark Sun, but by "the primordials" are they referencing the 4E primordials? Or did Dark Sun have references to some force killing-off the gods even before 4E?

I'm not a Dark Sun expert either, but that specific take on Dark Sun lore (primordials killed the gods) appears to originate from 4E Dark Sun.

 

[JEB]

TALES FROM THE YAWNING PORTAL

Greyhawk

• A visitor to the Yawning Portal in the Forgotten Realms is described as a "bald, stern wizard clad in blue robes and speaking with a strange accent" and describing the events of White Plume Mountain; likely meant to be Mordenkainen (not explicitly tied to Greyhawk)
• The Green Dragon Inn, in the Free City of Greyhawk, is described; it's been the starting point of many expeditions to Castle Greyhawk
• The Free City of Greyhawk "stands at the nexus between a devil-haunted empire, a vast domain locked in the iron-tight grip of a demigod of evil, and a splintered, bickering host of kingdoms nominally committed to justice and weal."
• "In the battered, weary world of Greyhawk, profit and power take precedence over heroics."
• The Sunless Citadel, The Forge of Fury, and Against the Giants are all updated for this book, and were previously set in Greyhawk (the first two only implicitly, they can be seen as generic), but none are explicitly tied to the setting here (although, see below)
• The sidebar on adapting The Sunless Citadel to other settings mentions the Baklunish, the Suel Imperium (which unleashed the Invoked Devastation), Bissel, and foothills west of Thornward
• The sidebar on adapting The Forge of Fury to other settings mentions the Pomarj, the Drachensgrab Hills, and the Hateful Wars (which apparently involved orcs and evil humanoid invaders)
• The sidebar on adapting The Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan to other settings notes the adventure was originally set in Greyhawk:
  • The Hidden Shrine was part of the "ancient ruined city of Tamoachan", previously the northernmost capital city of the Olman empire
  • The Olman civilization covered much of the southern continent, "centuries before current history began"
  • Tamoachan is located "in the savage lands south of the Olman Islands and southeast of the Holds of the Sea Princes
  • "The climate is subtropical and very damp; it rains nearly every afternoon."
• White Plume Mountain is updated for the book, and the entire adventure (as well as the adventure location) appears to be canonically in Greyhawk, presumably including the wizard Keraptis and the locations on the map (the Great Swamp, Dragotha, Thingizzard, and Castle Mukos); White Plume Mountain is located in the northeastern Shield Lands, near the Bandit Kingdoms and the Great Rift
• The sidebar on adapting Dead in Thay to other settings mentions Rary the Traitor, who wishes to increase his power and destroy the Scorpion Crown to restore (ancient) Sulm to a fertile state, subjugated the people of the Bright Desert, and betrayed the Circle of Eight, and made many other enemies
• The sidebar on adapting Against the Giants to other settings mentions Geoff, Sterich, the Crystalmists, the Jotens, and the "infamous" Barrier Peaks
• Tomb of Horrors is updated for the book, and the entire adventure (as well as the Tomb itself) appears to be canonically in Greyhawk, presumably including Acererak; as in the original adventure, the Tomb could be located in one of six places, including the Plains of Iuz, an island in the Nyr Dyv, the Bright Desert, the Duchy of Geoff, the Vast Swamp south of Sunndi, and an island beyond the realm of the Sea Barons

Dragonlance

• The sidebar on adapting The Sunless Citadel to other settings mentions Xak Tsaroth, which was destroyed during the "cataclysm"; it also mentions gully dwarves
• The sidebar on adapting The Forge of Fury to other settings mentions the Kharolis Mountains, Thorbardin, the Age of Might, the Age of Despair (to include Highlord Verminaard), and Theiwar dwarves
• The sidebar on adapting The Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan to other settings mentions Chemosh, the Age of Dreams, and the Blood Sea of Istar
• The sidebar on adapting White Plume Mountain to other settings mentions Neraka in the Khalkist Mountains, and the "armies of Takhisis"
• The sidebar on adapting Dead in Thay to other settings mentions that the setting has "renegade wizards" of different colors; one (or more) Tower of High Sorcery; Fistandantilus, who made a failed attempt at godhood; the apparently ruined Tower of Istar, which Nuitari took at the end of the Chaos War, and which Mina raised, following which the black wizards took it over (this is the first reference to the post-War of the Lance era I've found in 5E)
• The sidebar on adapting Against the Giants to other settings mentions Abanasinia, Qualinesti, Thorbardin, Kharolis, and Tarsis, which appear to be located near the Kharolis Mountains
• The sidebar on adapting Tomb of Horrors to other settings mentions the Eastwall Mountains, the Cursed Lands of Newsea, and the Shadowglades of Krynn